1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method for providing a data service in a portable terminal, and in particular, to an apparatus and a method for allowing a portable terminal, which supports Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X-Evolution Data Only (EVDO), to operate in a mode, which supports only an EVDO data service, when using the EVDO data service, so as to improve data receipt efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) 2000 1X-Evolution Data Only (EVDO) (1X-EVDO) refers to a protocol which is different from an IS-2000 wireless protocol of an existing CDMA 2000 1X (1X) and is necessary for transmitting high-speed packet data. According to the CDMA 2000 1X-EVDO, data can be transmitted forward at a highest speed of about 2.4576 Mbps but backward at a highest speed of only about 153.6 Kbps. The 1X-EVDO requires a Base Station (BS) apparatus separate from an IS-2000 BS apparatus of the 1X and shares other system and network components with the IS-2000 wireless protocol.
A portable terminal, which supports the 1X-EVDO, may operate in a data only mode in which only a high-speed packet data service is performed and a hybrid mode in which the high-speed packet data service and a voice service are performed. However, most 1X-EVDO portable terminals which have been developed operate in the hybrid mode.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a process of using an EVDO data service in a conventional portable terminal which operates in a hybrid mode.
Referring to FIG. 1, in step 101, the conventional portable terminal determines if an access to an EVDO data service has been performed. If it is determined in step 101 that the access to the EVDO data service has been performed, the conventional portable terminal proceeds to step 103 to periodically search for a 1X paging channel so as to determine if a voice service signal thereof has been generated during the access to the EVDO data service. In step 105, the conventional portable terminal determines if the voice service signal thereof, i.e., a voice call or a short message service (SMS), has been generated. If it is determined in step 105 that the voice service signal has not been generated, the conventional portable terminal goes to step 111. If it is determined in step 105 that the voice service signal has been generated, the conventional portable terminal proceeds to step 107 to pause the EVDO data service and receive the voice service signal which has been generated through the 1X paging channel.
In step 109, the conventional portable terminal resumes the EVDO data service. In step 111, the conventional portable terminal determines if an event for stopping the access to the EVDO data service has occurred. If it is determined in step 111 that the event has not occurred, the conventional portable terminal returns to step 103 to repeat steps subsequent to step 103. If it is determined in step 111 that the event has occurred, the conventional portable terminal ends the process.
As described above, a conventional portable terminal basically operates in a hybrid mode. Thus, when the conventional portable terminal accesses an EVDO data service, the terminal searches for a 1X paging channel at predetermined time intervals according to 1X slot periods. As a result, the conventional portable terminal supports the EVDO data service and a voice service. However, receiving EVDO data stops for the periodical time required for searching for the 1X pacing channel during the access to the EVDO data service. Thus, the entire data receipt efficiency is lowered. Also, since the conventional portable terminal basically operates in the hybrid mode, the conventional portable terminal searches for the 1X paging channel to receive the voice service even if a user desires to use only the EVDO data service. Thus, this may disturb the user to use the EVDO data service. For example, when the user downloads pay data content, a voice call or an SMS may be received, and thus downloading the pay data content may stop.